Field of the Invention:
The present teaching relates to a liquid discharge apparatus which discharges a liquid, and a method for producing a heat sink.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is known a printer provided with an ink-jet head which discharges an ink from a plurality of nozzles, as a liquid discharge apparatus. As an example of such a printer, there is known a printer provided with the ink-jet head, and a carriage to which the ink-jet head is attached and which is moved in a direction of the width of a recording medium (scanning direction).
In the conventionally known printer, the ink-jet head is provided with four head units which are arranged side by side with one another in the scanning direction of the carriage, and each of the head units has a nozzle plate formed with the plurality of nozzles, a flow channel substrate in which a plurality of pressure chambers, etc. are formed, and a plurality of piezoelectric elements which are arranged on the flow channel substrate corresponding to the plurality of pressure chambers, respectively. Further, flexible flat cables are connected to the head units, respectively, and each of the flexible flat cables is extended upward from one of the head units. Furthermore, an IC driving piezoelectric elements among the plurality of driving elements is provided on each of the flexible flat cables, at an intermediate portion thereof, in the up-down direction.
The IC provided on each of the flexible flat cables is configured to drive the piezoelectric elements. When the IC is driving the piezoelectric elements, heat is generated in the IC. Further, a portion of the heat generated in the IC is transferred to the head unit via a member (a wiring member or a trace member), thereby changing the temperature of the ink. In a case that the temperature of the ink is changed, the physical property of the ink, such as the viscosity of the ink, etc., is consequently changed, which in turn also changes the discharge characteristic of the nozzle (such as a discharging amount, discharging speed, etc.).
In the conventionally known printer, the flexible flat cables are connected to the head units, respectively. Further, since the heat generating amount in each of the ICs depends on a usage situation (for example, frequency of performing discharge) of one of the head units corresponding thereto, the heat generating amount is different (varied) among the plurality of ICs. Accordingly, due to the variation in the heat generating amount among the ICs, the temperature of the ink tends to easily differ among the plurality of head units. This is one of major factors causing the variation in the discharge characteristic among the plurality of nozzles.
An object of the present disclosure is to suppress any variation in the discharge characteristic among the nozzles due to any variation in the heat generating amount among the plurality of ICs.